RevitalizationofRivers In IndiaDraftPolicy Recommendation ANNEXURE 14 - Project Green Hands PGH HISTORY AND PROCESS DOCUMENTATION In the early 2000s, an agency of the U.N conducted a survey in the state of Tamil Nadu and predicted that 60% of the state would turn into a desert by 2025. Sadhguru decided to check up on this prediction and travelled around Tamil Nadu. He saw that the state was headed towards desertification much more rapidly than the U.N prediction. The green cover of Tamil Nadu was only 17% and 11.4 crores needed to be planted to increase the green cover to the required green cover of 33% Realizing the profound ecological problems occurring in the state of Tamil Nadu, Sadhguru applied his unique approach to the problem.He saw that the population of Tamil Nadu was 6 crores. If each one planted two trees and tended to them, within 10 years, they would have 11.4 Crores and our vision would come true. Even the poorest of the poor are in a position to nurture two saplings, and the rich and the resourceful have the ability to do much more. With this background, Project GreenHands (PGH) was launched in 2005 as an inspiring grassroots ecological initiative. The first project was the rehabilitation of the Tsunami affected coastal area where PGH planted 25,000 trees with the community participation. In 2006, as a first step, to raise awareness and to establish a public profile, PGH undertook the seemingly insurmountable task of planting seven lakh saplings across the state of Tamil Nadu in just one day. A mass tree planting marathon was held on October 17, 2006where over 200,000 volunteers planted 852,587 saplings in a day resulting in the setting of a Guinness World Record. But unlike other records and record holders, this is one record that PGH will be glad to see broken. Indian Rivers 615

RevitalizationofRivers In IndiaDraftPolicy Recommendation With the buzz created from the tree-planting marathon, PGH received a wave of public, corporate and government support. PGH has over the years, built on this foundation of support to reach out to communities and people across the country. Starting from the geographical land area of Tamil Nadu, PGH is reestablishing the power ofindividual action for large-scale change. Government institutions, NGOs, corporate partners, and individuals have pitched in to grow saplings and plant trees, and to support the effort. Through its activities, PGH aims to inspire people around the world to appreciate the true value of trees and the vital role that they play within human environments. During the year 2010, Project GreenHands was awarded India’s highest environmental award, the Indira Gandhi PariyavaranPuraskar. On 30 Sep 2010, PGH was declared winner of “Beyond Sports Award 2010” in the Sports for Environment category in the award function at USA. Recently PGH won the “Environmental Award – 2010” from Department of Environment, Government of Tamil Nadu. PGH has so successfully enabled the planting of over 30 million saplings in Tamil Nadu with the support and participation of over 2 million people. Today PGH has 4 verticals 1. TREES FOR ALL Planting trees are important but it is more import to plant trees in people’s minds. When an individual is touched deeply, he need not be reminded to water the tree or told to care for it. Through the “Trees for All” initiative, saplings are handed out as part of education programs aimed at teaching people about the multiple benefits that trees offer. PGH has 35 nurseries established across the state through which on an average 4 million saplings are produced every year. 84 different tree species (combination of fruit, fodder, timber, flowering and avenue trees) endemic to Tamil Nadu are 616 Annexures